Wednesday, 16 November 2011

Thursday, 10 November 2011

Wednesday, 2 November 2011

Modular T-Shirts - just in time for Winter

I just got a new T-Shirt design printed - limited run of 50 - a wonderfully riffing design from the skewed mind of Christopher! Of course, given the origins, these had to be bright yellow.

Gildan Ultra Cotton 'Daisy' Shirts with 5 colour screen print expertly produced by Uno One in Bristol.

Now online in the BugBrand Shop.

Thursday, 6 October 2011

Update for Berlin Show - Saturday 8th @ Kamine und Wein

Ok - here are the details for the Saturday night show at Kamine und Wein, 58 Prinzenallee (nr. Pankstrasse) - from 20:30 - with Jayrope and Olaf Hilgenfeld. + DJ Samtbody

Linkages -
Facebook (I don't know if this works 'cos I don't do such things..)


Here's the flyer (click for big):

Tuesday, 4 October 2011

Berlin Preparations (100th post!)

Bumper excitements for post #100!
Three things to share as I prepare for a week in Berlin.

1) A recording of a practice:

2) Custom bags for the 2Frame Shallow setups:
Tomorrow I will be finding out whether Easyjet really do let you take on musical instruments like this. Fingers crossed!
The cases are soft and well padded, with a big pocket on the front for PSU / cables / panties.
Carry handles + a shoulder strap.
Dark blue - not quite BugBlue, but hey..

3) Not one, but TWO shows (in Berlin):
- Saturday 8th Oct at .... (name to follow!) ... - the show will be in Wedding, I think on Prinzenallee - nearest subway is Pankstrasse.
This will be another relatively low-key affair with demo, talking and playing with my friend Jayrope - http://www.kliklak.net/
I think it is also being billed as "Miracle Research Association #3"
I'll update details once I hear more.

I'll be treating both of these shows as fun explorations and demonstrations - hopefully a great chance to meet some new people and have a good play. Do come along if you are around.


Thursday, 29 September 2011

Flying Weevil

Really HIGH!



Thanks to the nut-case DanP!

Wednesday, 3 August 2011

Four Years Progress


Four years ago I'd been DIYing modular stuff for a year or two at least and was having a lot of fun - but then I was faced with the challenge of how to take a system to Europe (on Easyjet). I ended up building this (built to the Easyjet musical instrument carry-on dimensions - of course, flying from the UK they totally DIDN'T let me carry it on...) and performed a 4am wobbly-techno set by a lake near Berlin for the Goldmund Festival - it was great.

The Modular has always been driven by what I desire from a live system and portability has always been a major concern for me. Since I started producing 'regular' systems, the size has come down a long way from the old DIY days, but my 4" deep Frames still felt a little cumbersome - and they actually held a lot of wasted space since I changed all module designs to the new Rev.2 status (using SMD parts).

So, when I was asked to return again to the same festival (now called Am Ende Der Wald - it really is the most magical event and location) I got the idea to produce a new system frame - the Shallow Frame. Not only does it cut down the depth by almost 50% (now only 2.3" deep) but I also spread out to the sides to produce a 16-width frame (2 foot wide) - why should I stay constrained by the original sizes dictated by 19" Racks when 95% of my frames DON'T get used in 19" Racks?! I really do see these new frames as the future! (Yes, they will be regular production cases, along with the current 11-width ones)

Here are the results - a 2FrameShallow setup, crammed to the gills with sonic & rhythmic power! Believe me, this system is seriously fun to play and constantly surprises with variety. And it is pretty portable too. If you want to catch the results, then I'll be playing around Midnight on the first night at the Space Opera Saloon. [Click the pics for larger versions]

Top Row:
SYN1 Weevil // 3 x SYN2A Utility VCO // 2 x DD2 LFO/DC-Mix // PRC5 Wavefolder // 2x PRC3A SV Filter // PRC4 Dual LPG // DD3 VCA/Drive // 2x PRC1 PT Delay // UTL1 Dual Preamp // PRC2 BugCrusher
Bottom Row:
SEQ1 Sequence Hub // CTL3A Prototype 8 Stage Preset // CLK2A Divisions // CLK2B Binary Divisions // CLK3A Triple Logic // UTL6C Diode Director // 3x ENV1 Attack/Decay // UTL2B Outputs

[Yes, as always, virtually no public availability due to ongoing work with current system users - but I *AM* working towards 'proper' production - oh yes! Sign up for the ModularMailingList via the main BugSite]